AMID AN ATMOSPHERE OF JOY AND HAPPINESS Under the patronage of the Head of Parliament, Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Zahrani and the Director of the Arab Open University Bahrain Branch, Dr. Samir Qasim Fakhro, the AOU celebrated the graduation ceremony of its Third Batch of Bachelor students at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday, December 10, 2009.

The ceremony was attended by important personalities and ambassadors of some sister states and a number of students and their families. They were met by Prof. Dr. Samir Fakhro and his deputies Dr. Ahmad Azzam, Assistant Director for Academic Affairs and Mr. Abdul Hameed, Assistant Director for Administrative Affairs, and a number of teaching staff and administrators.

The salute to the nation announced the commencement of the ceremony which began with a recitation from the Holy Quran. Some graduating students presented speeches as well. The audience was then addressed by the inspiring words of Dr. Samir Fakhro. This was followed by the diplomas being awarded to the graduating students by His Excellency Khalifa al-Zahrani and President Dr. Samir Fakhro.

The graduates were elated with joy with their faces bright with hopes for the future. They looked forward to future research and progress in the fields of academia and their places of work. They expressed their gratitude for the wise words of Dr. Samir Fakhro which further kindled their enthusiasm to pursue higher education.